The new £40 million 36-acre business park by Junction 37 of the M1 was officially declared open for business this week by Martin Croxen, chief executive of developers Sterling Capitol.
This classic mixed-use scheme, featuring 450,000 sq ft of quality office and industrial space, plus a new hotel and ancillary facilities, and provision for a 250-space park-and-ride facility, will create 650 jobs.
The development has been supported by a £2.65m public sector grant from Objective One and has been carefully planned and brought forward working closely with Renaissance South Yorkshire, Yorkshire Forward and Barnsley Development Agency.
The first phase of development includes 30,000 sq. ft. of high quality speculative “hybrid” business units, for sale or rent, and is already proving popular. Pit Stop Productions, one of Yorkshire’s leading animation companies Pop Idol, has taken one unit, whilst deals have been completed on three of the remaining hybrid units and interest in the rest is very high.
Meanwhile One Capitol Court is a joint venture between Sterling Capitol and Priority Sites. Office space will range from 5,000sq.ft. to 30,000sq.ft and will be available to let from July 2007. The offices will be an integral part of the Capitol Park scheme.
Deals have also been confirmed with hotel group Ramada Encore for a 120-bed hotel at the front of the site and with Toby Inns for an adjacent pub and restaurant.
Martin Croxen, the chief executive of Sterling Capitol, commented: “As developers we have a proven track record in delivering highly successful business parks in prime motorway locations in Yorkshire. Capitol Park Thorne and Capitol Park Leeds have revitalised their communities and created more than 2,500 jobs between them. I have every confidence that Capitol Park Barnsley will be equally successful”.
Graham Sadler, the development director of Priority Sites Ltd, said; “Priority Sites are delighted to be working in partnership with Sterling Capitol in delivering speculative, high-quality offices on this prestigious development. The initial interest in these offices is extremely encouraging.”
Guy Cooke of property consultants Knight Frank in Leeds, added: “This is a very exciting scheme for Barnsley, a town with a proud industrial past and a great future and we are delighted to be involved in a development which will assist in the regeneration of one of South Yorkshire’s most important towns. There are imaginative plans to transform Barnsley into a 21st century town and Capitol Park, Barnsley complements this perfectly. The future is bright for this proud and historic town”
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